How do you change things in to significant figures?

Answer 1

The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows:

All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3.

Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2.

Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.

Answer 2

As a former high school chemistry teacher, I can tell you that the concept of significant figures (or significant digits) was one of the most difficult concepts for students to learn. It is far too complex to answer on a site like this, but I can give some advice. First of all, most high school level chemistry books will have multiple sections of a measurement chapter devoted to it. There are a set of rules for sig figs in measurement, and then separate rules for sig figs in calucations using measurements. Secondly, you can't understand it if you don't separate imperical math numbers and calculations from measurements. That is because sig figs only exist in real-world measurements since they are created by the limitation of the measurement device. Third, multiple examples of actual measurements and calculations are the best way to understand them. Fourth, the question around the significance of zeros is the hardest. You have to ask yourself if the zero was actually measured just like a 1-9, or is the zero a product of rounding? Fifth, remember sig figs only apply to measurements. When doing a calculation and converting 2 minutes into 120 seconds, that converstion is exact by definition, not dependent on the measurement, so

Now, a quick attempt to help:

Sig Figs are the number of digits in a measurement that are know with some certainty. Since every measurement device has some limit to its level of precision, it doesn't have an infinite number of digits to the right of the measurement.

Examples:

The digital timer on your oven might round to the nearest minute, so 41 and 40 both have 2 sig digits but no more. It is not "exactly" 41 or 40 because the seconds got rounded off.

A digital wrist watch can display hours, minutes, and seconds, so it can have more sig figs than the timer on the oven.

A stop watch can also measure time but with even more sig figs because it can measure hours, minutes, seconds, and hudredths of seconds.

I'm out of time. I hope this helps, but it is too complex to put in here.

Answer 3

The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows:

All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3.

Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2.

Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.

Answer 4

The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows:

1. All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

2. Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3.

3. Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2.

4. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.

Answer 5

A very easy way is if a decimal point is present, begin counting from the left with the first non-zero number and keep counting all numbers after that. Examples: 0.0456 and 45.60. In the first number, there are 3 s.f. because you start counting from the first NON zero, so 456 are all s.f. In the second case, a decimal is present so start counting from the left and you get 4 s.f. If a decimal is NOT present, then start counting from the right, beginning with the fist non-zero number, and count all digits. Examples: 450 and 4500 and 4505
For 450 there are 2 s.f. (the 4 and 5). In 4500, there are 2 s.f. (the 4 and 5). In 4505 there are 4 s.f.

Answer 6

To change a number into a specific number of significant figures, consider the digit in the last significant figure you want to keep. If the first digit to be removed is 5 or higher, round up the last digit you're keeping. If it's less than 5, leave it as is. Adjusting the non-significant figures to zeros will preserve the overall scale of the value.